BLM Plans September Oil and Gas Lease Auction

The Bureau of Land Management is conducting an auction of oil and gas leases on federal land on September 9, 2009, at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center, 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield. The room opens at 8 a.m. to allow bidders to register and obtain a bid number. The competitive oral auction begins at 9 a.m.

The competitive lease auction involves 5 parcels for a total of 2096.56 acres of public lands in Kern County.

A detailed notice of the lease auction with parcel descriptions, acreage, lease terms and conditions, oral bidding procedures and requirements, and other sale information is available on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/og/instructions/leasesale.html. The posted list initiates a 30-day public review and protest period, which ends August 23, 2009. If you are not able to access the website, copies of the lease sale notice are available at the California BLM State Office, 2800 Cottage Way in Sacramento and the BLM Bakersfield Field Office, 3801 Pegasus Drive, for $5.

BLM is required by law to periodically offer federal land for lease for oil and gas exploration and development. The oil and gas industry is encouraged to submit an "expression of interest" for federal land parcels in California that have potential for development. An “expression of interest” is a letter or a form listing the legal description of lands an individual or company is interested in seeing offered for lease.

Expressions of interest for the June 2010 lease auction should be sent to the BLM, Attention: Laurie Moore, 2800 Cottage Way Suite W-1618, Sacramento, Calif. 95825 no later than October 1, 2009.

For questions regarding the September 9th auction or to obtain a form to submit an expression of interest, contact Laurie Moore at (916) 978-4377 or Nora DeDios at the BLM Bakersfield Field Office, (661) 391-6129.